Pad for football players



May 19, 1931.

. H. H. JONESv PAD FORFOOTBALL PLAYERS.

Filed Sept. 9, 1929 INVENTOR 969mm .755 7E/76:5

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 19, 1931 lill.

HOWARD H. JONES, OF NORTE-I HOLLYWOOD,'CALIFORNIA BAD FOR FGTBLL PLAYERS Application ledeptember 9,1929# Serallo. 391,115.

This invention relates to an article ofk ath` letic apparel, and particularly pertains to football players pad of the general construction shown in my co-pen'ding application filed by me in the United vStates Patent Oflice on March 19, 1928, Serial No. 262,735, and entitled Football players pad.7V e

In order to insure that a football player shall play under the most favorable conditions, it is desirable to properly protect the vulnerable parts of his body against injury due to collision or otherwise, so that the player concentrate upon the game without the constant self-conscious fear of possible injury; and it is also desirable that in order to insure maximum speed and stamina, the protecting devices must be so positioned upon the body of the player as to permit free movement of the players body and limbs while running, blocking or clipping,` and by structures which will be of light weight whereby the'body will not be excessively heated to lproduce overheating and perspiration with a resultant loss of strength. It is well recognized that the mental attitude of the player is most healthy v-.f'lien the player is clad in a light weight but eli'ective protecting equipment so disposed and concealed upon the body of the player as to give him a trim appearance and while eliminating loose garments and pads which might be conveniently grasped by an opponent during the game. i

Tt is theprincipal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a 'footballl players pad adapted to shield and protect the viscera of the body of the player, and particularly the liver, kidneys andthe muscles covering the same, as well as the muscles of the hips and thighs, which structure is relativel li 'ht in weiffht VhavinO' Oreat D 7 b D strength and so positioned upon the players body aste be entirely concealed bythe jersey and pants of the player. The structure is further designed to embody ysemi-rigid shield members for the kidneys and thighs, with a flexible shield protecting the area between the kidney and thigh shields without limiting the bending ortwisting movementof the players body.

of the kidney'pads.

yIt isa further object-of the present invention to' provide semi-rigid 'shield structures which will prevent the contact of hard and i unyielding members with the bodyv of the player, and will insure that the force of a blow otherwise deliveredto yav vulnerable part of the players body will be distributed over a Ilarge area and thus Vmaterially dis-f sipated.

rlhe present invention contemplates the provision of a protecting girdle circumy scribing the players body in the region around and over the kidneys and the iliumv bones, and which girdle carriesremovable` trussed kidney pads. Saidgirdle being further provided with dependent thigh protecting means and a protecting pad for the sacrum region.

The invention is described by Way of eX-Y ample in the 'accompanying Vdrawings in which F ig. l is a view in perspective"showings the football players pad with which the present invention is concerned. e

Fig. 2 is a View in verticaltransverse sec tion through the pad as seen on theline 25-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing one Fig. el is a view in perspective showing thevreverse side of one of the thigh pads. Y'

Fig. 5 is view in transverse section takenk through the sacrum pad on the line 5 5 of F ig. l. l v i Referringmore particularly tothe drawings, l0 indicates a girdle structure adapted to encircle the waist of the player in the The y area around andV over the kidneys. height of the girdle is such as to cause its upper edge to lie directly below the floating ribs, and its lower edge 'lo eXtendacross the thigh and at Va point lower than the iliumV bone whereby the ilium bone will be substantially midway the height of the girdle. The girdle is quiltedv throughout its length ter ninates in reduced end portions ll and l2, which arecut away at their lower edge to prevent binding of the abdominal area. The portion ll carries a flexible' loop l, within which va pair of rings. 14 and '15r lis are secured. The portion l2 carries a fabric strap 16 adapted to be threaded through `slip fastening will be formed without the use of buckles or other fastening elements which might prove injurious to the player wearing the .pad or the player coming in contact with the buckle;

At opposite sides of the girdle, and in Athe area occurring over the kidneys of the player pockets '17 and 18 are formed. rlhese pockets are substantially recta l shape, and extend for l i g the opposite sides of the girdle than the width of the girdle. rllhese pockets are stitched to the girdle along their lower edges as ind cated at 19 and are adapted to be tacked to the girdle along a portion of their upper edge as indicated by dotted lines at 20 in F ig. l of the drawings. The pockets receive kidney pads 2l, one of which is disposed in each of said pockets, and which pads are shown in perspective in 3 of tie drawings.

The kidney pads are trussed and comprise a semi-rigid shield 22 and a plurality of trussed bands 23. The shield is fori .ed of a non-metallic material, such as fiber board, or the like. It is formed of a sheet of niaterial which is convexed while being straight vertically. The lower edge of the shield terminates in a straight line while the upper edge of the shield is shaped with a convex recess 24 adapted t lit around the lower ribs and to prevent painful pressure against the body when the player bends over or crouches as would occur if the upper edge of the shield 22 terminated along a straight line. The shield 22 is flexed outwardly and is held in its flexed position by the truss bands 23. These bands are of lesser length than the developed longitudinal length of the shield, whereby the bands will always tend to hold the shield in its flexed position, and will resist a blow delivered against the convex face of the shield which would tend to flatten the shield and straighten it longitudinally.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, two of the trussed bands 23 are shown on the kidney shields 2l, thus the chord lengths 25 of the bands will be spaced from each otl -f to form a longitudinal opening 26 into whie the ilium bone may project to spread the chord sections of the bands and to peririt the force delivered against the shield to be received by the body without being delivered directly upon the point of the ilium bone.

Dependent from the girdle 1G anl t tl back thereof, is a pad 27 which hangs downwardly over and protects the sacruin and coccyx. This pad structure consists of a pocket 28 within which a rpad 29 of sponge rubber is inserted. rllhe upper edge of this pocket is open so that these pads may be interchanged when desired.

`Upon opposite sides of the girdle and secured along the lower marginal edge thereof in the area beneath the kidney pads are flexible straps 30 and 31. These straps may be of heavy fabric or leather. Stitched upon opposite sides of the straps and adapted to depend therefrom is a quilted pad 32.

vThese pads be formed of felt, if desired, and are substantially oval in configuration. rlllie `diameters of the pads and their dependent positions being such as to cause them to cover the thigh portion of the playerls body. Stitched to the outer face of each of the pads is a pocket 33. These pockets stitched along their lower edge and their ends. The upper edge of each pocket is una tached, to the pad, providing an opening i ito which a trussed thigh pad 34 may be insert-ec to assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. rThe thigh pads are fornied from a sheet of stiff material7 such as fiber as indicated 35 in liig. l of the drawings, and are flexed horizontally in the saine manner as previously described for the kidney pads 2l.

A truss band 36 is secured around the flexed sheet of material and edgewise thereof. rllhis band is of relatively great width and its unsupported chord portion is intended to lie across the thigh muscles of the player and to absorb and distribute the force of blows delivered to the convex face of the pad. Consideration of the truss pads here shown will disclose the fact that they may be easily removed from the pockets within which they are carried, and that the pad plates may be cleansed and the truss straps washed. lt will also be evident that since the fiexure of the pads is longitudinally thereof, there will be a spacenvithin the pad through which air may circulate vertically, thus eliminating overheating of the body due to a lack of free circulation thereof.

In order to insure that the lower edge of the trussed kidney pad 2l and the upper edge of the adjacent trussed thigh pad 34 shall not cut into the body of the wearer when the body is bent along the waistline, cushion pads 3'? and 33 are secured to the inner face of the girdle at a point alongl itwill be seen that the lower edgef'of'the trussed kidney pad 21 and they upper edge of the trussed thigh `pad 34 are a considerable distance apart. This makes it possible for the pads to have relative movement with relation to each other, when the player is Crouching or when his body is being twisted without interference of one pad with the other, and lwithout a resulting difficulty experienced by the playerV in bending over. The space between the trussed kidney` pad andthe trussed thigh pad leaves an exposed vulnerable area anda shield member .39 is provided to span thisl space andto protect' the area of the body therebeneath without interfering with free relativefmovement of the kidney pads withrelation to the thigh pads'. The shields 39 are adequately connected by their y'upper edges to the girdle structure by means of hinge straps 40. These straps are sewed to theouterV face of the pockets 18 at their upper edges and are riveted to the upper edges of the shields. The upper edge of each shield is positioned a considerable distance above the lower edge of the corresponding trussed kidney pad 21 and the lower edge of each Vshield occurs at a point a considerable distance' below vthe upper Vedge ofthe corresponding trussed thigh pad 34. The shield curves horizontally and thus conforms to the convex curvature of the kidney pad and thigh pad while being supported thereby. This makes it possible for the shields 39 to at all times span and cover the gap between the contiguous edges of the kidney and thigh pads, while permitting free articulate movement between the kidney pad, shield, and thigh pad on each side Vof the players body. Y

`When the football Lpad structure is `worn by a playerthe rear padded portion 41 of they girdle will lieacross the small of the i players back, protecting the same, and the trussed kidney pad structures will lie around and over the kidneyy area, the re,- duced ends 11 and 12 of the girdle will be secured around the front of the players waist and held inposition bythe straps 13 and 16, and the rings 14 and15. The thigh pad structures and the sacrumpadA will then depend from the girdle and -lie lover the parts intended to be protectedy thereby. The player may then conceal the'entire pad kstructure beneath his jersey and football pants with the -result that the player will present a neat appearance, giving the impression ofv alertness and speed, and 'make lit impossible for the pad structure -tobe grasped by opposing players as is' now often done by the use of protecting kidney pads which lextend upwardly from the waist ofthe trousers andarefree Valong the 'upper edges. .The Vfootball pad while ythus vorny is offlightl' weight-andliits pads even` embrace thek pads,

arrangement though 'havinggreatlprotecting value yare ventilated vthroughout so as not to add to theheat of the p'layers-body.

player blocks or clips, hermay throw his-body .in front of an opposing player without" fear of incurring great bodily pain or .injury f since the-kidney and thigh-pads will cover these vulnerable areas and are so constructed as to insure that blows delivered to their convex straighten them out to exerttension on the circumscribing bands 23 or 36, ywherebyjthe force of the blow will be'dissipateid Aand it will be deliveredA to the body by aflexible vand yieldablemember which will conform to thecontourof theportion'of the body against which it is forced. When the player crouches, or is required to otherwise bend or twist his body',the cushionpads 37 and 38 will prevent the contiguous edges of the kidney and thigh pads from producing painful pressure upon =the players body andthe shields 39 will actl to further protect this vulnerable intermediate area.

Attention isr `also directed to thefact that the kidney and thigh pads here disclosed possess great strength and durability, due to the factthat the bandsQS-andV 36 completely andthat the ends ofthe bands are stitched together. relatively permanentffastening as compared Vto that which would bev obtained by stitching the fabric to the non-yielding sheets 22 and 35' by which the stitching would be cutupon the edges of the holes in the shields through which the threads pass and inl addition, this particular shield structure makes it possible to readily remove the fabric from the shield for the purpose of cleansing them, since theiry close proximity to the players body-would spiration. Y

Itv will thus be seen that the pad structure here*v disclosed is simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive and that it provides a vdevice having-maximum protecting qualities,l a' minimum of weight, and a maximum of rstrength fin aV structure which will Anot act to create an overheat'ed condition of they understood that various changes mightbe made inthe combination', construction and from the. spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is'. f

1. A Vprotecting' device for football players which comprises a Vgirdle adapted to circumscribe the waist of the player, said girdle being formed Vof quilted material, a pair of pockets on faces will tend to of all parts without' departing 1:,

thev outside cfr-the girdleJ andy `at opposite sidesither'eof'a'dapted tok overlie the When the i This insuresl a 21.-:

wie'

cause them to become moistened withperregion 'of the kidneys of the player, ya pair of convex shield members, one of which is disposed in each of said pockets with its concaved portion facing inwardlyl and having flexible straps extending longitudinally thereof to bear against the girdle, a pair of tudinally thereof to rest against the pad,l

and a pairof convex shield members, one articulately securedby its upper edge to the pocket of each kidney pad with its concave portion adapted to lie down thereover and with its lower concaved edge resting against the convex face of a corresponding thigh pad, said shields bridging the space occurring between the kidney and thigh pads.

2. A protecting device for football players which comprises a girdle adapted to circumscribe the waist of the player, said girdle being formed of quilted material, a pair of pockets on the outside of the girdle and at opposite sides thereof adapted to overlie the region of the kidneys of the player, a pair of semi-rigid convex shield members, one of which is disposed in each of said pockets with its concaved portion facing inwardly and having flexible straps extending longitudinally thereof to bear against the girdle, a pair of thigh pads ar'ticulately connected to the girdle at points beneath the kidney pads, a pocket on the outside of each of said thigh pads, a pair of semi-rigid conthigh shields, one disposed within each of said thigh pad pockets and having a fabric portion stretched longitudinally thereof to rest against-the pad, and a pair of semirigid convex shield members, one articulately secured by its upper edge to the pocket of eachkidney pad with its concave portion adapted to lie down thereover and with its lower concaved edge resting against the convex face of a corresponding thigh pad, said shields bridging the space occurring between the kidney and thigh pads.

3. A protecting device for football players which comprises a girdle adapted to circumscribe the waist of the player, said girdle being formed of quilted material, a pair of pockets on the outside of the girdle and at opposite sides thereof adapted to overlie the region of the kidneys of trie player, a pair of convex shield members, one of which `is disposed in each of said pockets with its concaved portion facing inwardly and having flexible straps extending longitudinally hereof to bear against the girdle, a pair of thigh pads articulately connected to the girdle at points beneath the kidney pads, a pocket on the outside of each of said thigh pads, a pair of convex thigh shields, one

disposed Within each of said thigh pad pockets and having a fabric portion stretched longitudinally thereof to rest against the pad, and a pair of cushion pads secured to the inner face of the girdle along its lower edge and along their longitudinal median line, the free upper and lower portions of said lcushions being interposed between tlie respective upaer and lower edges of the kidney and thigh pads and the body of the player.

d. A protecting device for football players which comprises a girdle Vadapted to circumscribe the waist of the player, said girdle being` formed of quilted material, a pair of lpockets on the outside of the girdle and at opposite sides thereof adapted to overlie the region of the kidneys of the player, a pair of convex shield members, one of which is disposed in each of said pockets with its concave portion facing inwardly and having' flexible straps extending longiudinally thereof to bear against the girdle, a pair of thigh pads articulately connected to the girdle at points beneath the kidney pads, a pocket on the outside of each of said thigh pads, a pair of convex thigh shields,

one disposed within. each of said thigh pad pockets and having a fabric portion stretched longitudinally thereof to rest removable sacrum girdle at the yrear against the pad, and a pad dependent from the thereof. v

5. .er protecting device for football players which comprises a girdle adapted to ciroumscribe the waist of the player, said girdle being formed of quilted material, a pair of pockets on the outside of the girdle and at opposite sides thereof adapted to overlie the region of the kidneys of the player, a pairY ofl convex shield members, one of which is disposed in each of said pockets with its concave portion facing inwardly and having flexible straps extending longitudinally thereof to bear against the girdle, a pair of thigh pads articulately connected to the girdle at points beneath the kidney pads, a pocket on the outside of each of said thigh pads, a pair of convex thigh shields, one disposed within each of said thigh pad pockets and having a fabric portion stretched longitudinally thereof to rest against the pad, and a removable sacrum .pad dependent from the girdle at the rear thereof, said pad including a pocket carried by the girdle and within which a pad element is inserted.

6. ln a football player-"s pad structure, a shield insert adapted to fit over the iliuin bone which comprises a semi-rigid longitudinally flexed shield member, the concave portion facing the body of the player, and a pair of non-stretching truss bands encircling the shield longitudinally with their chord portions extending substantially parallel across the shield from edge to edge and adapted to bear against the bodyof the player, said bands being spaced apart to permit the point of the ilium bone to extend between them and the bands to conform to the contour of the bone, the upper edge of said shield being recessed to accommodate the lower ribs of the players body.

HOWARD H. 'J ONES. 

